


The One Where Groot is Rocket's Weakness

by JinxQuickfoot



Series: Weaknesses [26]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crew as Family, Hostage Situations, I Am Groot (Marvel), Kidnapped, Kidnapping, One Shot, Rescue Missions, Teen Groot (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxQuickfoot/pseuds/JinxQuickfoot
Summary: The Guardians had returned to the ship to find their sulky teenage tree had disappeared. “Probably sulking,” Rocket had griped. “Groot! Put down the GameBoy and get your ass out here.”Where there was no response, the Guardians searched the ship. They heard a cry from Mantis and “I found something!” from Groot’s bunk, and hurried over to join her. She was holding a hastily scribbled note: Bring us the power stone. You have twenty-four hours.----------------------------------------------------------------------------After one too many sassy "I Am Groots", Rocket grounds Groot, which means he's alone in the ship when the enemy comes to visit...
Relationships: Groot & Guardians of the Galaxy Team, Groot & Rocket Raccoon
Series: Weaknesses [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672462
Comments: 15
Kudos: 35
Collections: Weaknesses





	The One Where Groot is Rocket's Weakness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Groot (grootiez)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grootiez/gifts).



> Day 26 of the "Weaknesses" writing challenge
> 
> As requested by Groot (grootiez)
> 
> [Come say hi on Tumblr - I take requests!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jinxquickfoot)

There were two of them. They were well over eight feet tall with silver skin reminiscent of armor, with glowing red eyes and claws where their hands should be. They had had him for nearly a day now, hunkered down in the middle of their high-tech base. He was sure there were more of them outside the door they kept locked at all times, except when these monsters entered and exited. He didn’t know what was worse - the endless questions, or the stretches of nothing where he was left alone in the metal room.

One of the monsters leaned over him, the machinery beneath that metal armour whirring and clanging. He lifted one of his claws and placed it right over the captive’s wrist, the sharp, blade-like fingers threatening to cut right through it.

“You have held out well,” the monster said, its metallic voice harsh and grating. “You are stronger than we anticipated. But you cannot keep the information we seek from us forever. You will tell us. You will break.”

The captive said nothing.

“Do you think your friends are coming for you?” the monster continued. “They’re not. It’s been nearly a whole day now since we took you. We didn’t go far. If they were looking for you, they would have found you by now. You’re alone. No one is coming. No one cares about you. So why don’t you just tell us where it is, and we can end your suffering?”

The captive looked into the monster’s eyes with every ounce of defiance and disdain he could muster. He poured every bit of frustration, rage, and hate into his next words, adding a condescending eye roll as he did so.

“I am Groot.”

“Goddamit!” The monster grabbed a tray of scary-looking torture instruments and threw them across the room. “ _Would you stop saying that?_ ”

“Woah, woah!” The other monster joined his friend, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s ok, Carl. You’re doing really well.”

“It’s just I’m trying so hard, Joe.” Groot could have sworn he heard the monster sniff, like he was holding back tears. “But things have been rough with Cheryl lately, and the kids aren’t talking to me, and…”

“I know, bud.” Joe patted Carl’s shoulder. “It’s tough. No one expects you to be on your A-game with all that going on. You know that, right? We all still think you’re super scary and intimidating.”

Carl looked up, his face hopeful. “Really? You think I’m scary?”

“The scariest. I wouldn’t want you interrogating me, that’s for sure.”

“You mean that?”

The two monsters were interrupted by a strange noise coming from their captive. Groot was making kissy faces at them.

“Stop that!” Carl wailed. “Joe! Make him stop!”

“Hey,” Joe snapped at Groot. “Leave him alone. He’s having problems at home.” To Carl he said, “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off, bud? I’ll cover for you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Carl pulled him in for a hug. “You’re the best, Joe. A true friend.” 

“You’d do the same for me,” Joe replied. “Now, why don’t you talk things out with Cheryl? You know you guys are made for each other.”

“You know what?” Carl said. “I will. Going to get her some of those glowing rocks she likes, maybe a severed hand from a prisoner - real romantic stuff. And then I’m going to sweep her off her feet and say, ‘Cheryl, I’ve always loved -”

That was as far as he got. The door to the cell crashed open, and then Carl was looking at a blaster-sized hole in his chest.

***

Twenty-four hours ago, Rocket would have given anything to be given a break from teenage Groot. 

“Hey!” the raccoon had snapped at him as the rest of the Guardians geared up. “It’s go time. That means you need to _go_.”

Groot only looked up from his GameBoy long enough to roll his eyes. “Get your shit together or…” Rocket looked around for a suitable threat. “You’re grounded. Leave the ship with us, or not at all. That's the deal.”

Groot paused. Then turned his back on Rocket.

“Fine!” Rocket readied his blaster, the sounds of the battle outside intensifying. “Don’t help us liberate this village from monster-alien-robot oppressor things. Jerk,” he muttered, loud enough for Groot to hear, and then ran out into the fray.

It was the last thing he had said to him before Groot disappeared.

The Guardians had returned to the ship to find their sulky teenage tree had disappeared. “Probably sulking,” Rocket had griped. “Groot! Put down the GameBoy and get your ass out here.”

Where there was no response, the Guardians searched the ship. They heard a cry from Mantis and “I found something!” from Groot’s bunk, and hurried over to join her. She was holding a hastily scribbled note. 

**_Bring us the power stone. You have twenty-four hours._**

After glancing at each other, Gamora readied her gun. “I’ll search outside. Peter, you’re with me.”

“Actually, I’m the captain, so I give the orders…” He broke off at Gamora’s withering look. “But yeah. Search outside, good plan, let’s go.” They left, leaving Rocket with Drax and Mantis.

Rocket felt Mantis’s hand on his shoulder. “You feel guilt?”

“I told him to stay on the ship. I should have made him stay with me, but he wouldn’t come. If he had been with us, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It is not your fault,” Mantis comforted him.

“But it was Rocket who told Groot to stay on the ship,” Drax said.

“Thanks, Drax,” Rocket snapped at him.

“If Groot got taken because he was on the ship, and Rocket told him to stay on the ship, then Rocket’s guilt is warranted,” Drax reasoned.

“Yeah, pal, I got it.”

“Oh, I see,” Mantis agreed. “So he should be feeling guilty? That does make sense.”

“Enough!” Rocket threw Mantis’s hand off his shoulder. He turned around to see Peter and Gamora reentering the ship, only for his heart to sink when saw they were alone. “Nothing?”

They glanced at each other, and shook their heads. “We have worked out it was Rocket’s fault,” Mantis supplied happily.

“No, it wasn’t,” Gamora said quickly, seeing the droop in Rocket’s shoulders. “If they have him, he’s probably at their base.”

Drax nodded, making a fist. “I will spill their blood, slowly.”

“We get in, we get Groot, we get out,” Gamora said.  


“I will spill their blood…quickly.”

Gamora ignored him. “Let’s go.”

She moved to the front of the ship, Peter trailing her with a “Yeah, we really need to talk about the whole Captain is the one who is meant to give orders thing…later? Later sounds great. Let’s go get Groot.”

***

Joe had barely come to terms with Carl’s dead body in his arms before Rocket’s gun was at his head. The raccoon took one look at Groot, tied to the chair in the middle of the cell, and pulled the trigger. “Miss me?” he grinned as he went over to undo Groot’s bonds.

“I am Groot.”

“You did _not_ have things handled. You’re lucky these guys aren’t exactly subtle with their secret base thing.”

“I am Groot?”

“Of course we all came, dummy. What did you think we were going to just leave you here?”

Groot’s eyes shifted to his feet, and Rocket softened. “Hey, I know we fight sometimes. We’re a family, that’s what families do. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to leave you behind - ok? Ok? Even where you are being a jerk.”

Groot nodded, but didn't still didn't look at him.

"Alright!" Rocket sighed. "I was the jerk. Happy?"

He saw Groot smile, and relaxed a bit.  Then, “I am Groot?”

“Oh no pal, you’re still grounded. _So_ grounded. Except for when we go into battle. Then you stick with me, ok? No more ditching us for your GameBoy.”

“I am Groot.”

“Woah! Language. Now, are you coming or what?”

“I am Groot.”

“I agree. Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh poor Carl. Poor Joe. Part of me wanted to spare you, but my writer's brain forbade it.
> 
>   
> So hey, I have this film and screenwriting podcast? It's called "Kill the Cat" and once a month my co-host and I and break down one of our favourite movies or tv shows and look at why they work, including Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and, of course, the MCU.
> 
> You can check it out on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ypaen3yM5Q&t=1s&ab_channel=KilltheCatPodcast), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5hCprc9UCBZP4srFrBXKT1?si=ZOqdhMlVQvqV2fG5PxuvOA), or anywhere you listen to podcasts. 
> 
> And hey. You're doing great.


End file.
